The Trauma Center is both interdisciplinary and inter-institutional in nature and has as its primary focus the investigation of the pathophysiology of the critically injured trauma victim. Th purpose of such investigations is to better understand the disturbed physiology of the trauma patient in order to develop modalities of therapy which can increase survival following trauma as well as technical capability to identify altered physiologic parameters in the early post-trauma period to allow for effective therapeutic management of the trauma patient. The Center pulls together the combined expertise of staff members in Physiology, Surgery and Biomedical Engineering and brings sophisticated, modern scientific and engineering techniques to the bedside of the severely injured patient. The Trauma Center provides a unique focus for interaction between patients and clinicians, basic scientists and engineers, and serves as a means for the rapid advancement of basic scientific discoveries to the clinical setting for verification and application. At present, there is a heavy emphasis in the Center on the utilization of computer technology, for the effective monitoring of physiologic parameters in the trauma patient in addition to the analysis and retrieval of physiologic information. There are a variety of active research protocols dealing with cardiovascular, pulmonary and peripheral blood flow problems in the trauma patient. New technology, such as the multiple inert gas elimination technique, has been applied to these studies. Additionally, we anticipate an expanded effort in the area of influence of sepsis in the etilogy of multiple organ disruption following severe injury. Trauma is a problem of major health importance to this nation and the contributions of this center have made a significant impact on the quality of care and the understanding of the multiple trauma victim.